Bio

Jose Manuel Torres Yake was born in February 1972 in Guadalupe, Peru. He was the youngest of four children in a poor family. His father earned a living by selling drinks from a small stall. The family's financial struggles made life difficult for them. His older brother was a good student, but Torres Yake had trouble in school. He failed exams and fell two years behind his classmates. This caused challenges in his early education.

His parents divorced when he was young, and he stayed with his mother. After dropping out of junior high school, he would sometimes help his father with work or find jobs on construction sites. As a young adult, he left his hometown and moved to Lima, where he met his future wife. At that time, he had a son and a daughter.

In 2002, Torres Yake faced a court order in Peru. This made it difficult for him to leave the country. He wanted to go to Japan where his siblings were already living, hoping to earn money to buy a house. To avoid legal issues, he changed his identity to Juan Carlos Pizarro Yagi and illegally entered Japan in April 2004.

After arriving in Japan, he lived in several cities. First, he went to Suzuka in Mie Prefecture to live with one of his sisters. Later, he moved to Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, where he found work related to packaging. However, he was dismissed from several jobs due to poor attitude and missing work frequently.

By late 2005, he had moved to an apartment in Hiroshima’s Aki Ward. Despite being so close to others, he reportedly did not have good relationships with his neighbors. He was struggling to maintain his finances and was behind on his rent. His life continued to spiral downward as he faced numerous problems including work-related issues.

On November 22, 2005, events finally led to a tragic incident involving a young girl named Airi Kinoshita, but this will not be discussed here as per your request.

Murder Story

On November 22, 2005, Airi Kinoshita, a seven-year-old girl from Hiroshima, was murdered by Jose Manuel Torres Yake. After she left school for lunch, an autopsy revealed she was killed within 90 minutes. Airi died from suffocation caused by pressure on her neck. Her body was discovered in a cardboard box, which had been used for an oven, in a vacant lot in Aki Ward, Hiroshima. The box was found by a local resident.

A survey of the area indicated that Airi was likely lured away as she walked home. Her schoolbag was found about 300 meters away from where her body was located. She had a crime prevention buzzer with her, but it was missing when her body was discovered. The murder shocked the community, and many people attended Airi's funeral.

The police arrested Torres Yake on November 30, 2005, eight days after the murder. At first, he used a false name, Juan Carlos Pizarro Yagi. Initially, there were misconceptions in the media surrounding his identity. However, he was soon confirmed to be from Peru. During his trial, the prosecution cited evidence against him, including blood and hair found in his apartment that matched Airi's.

Torres Yake was sentenced to life imprisonment on July 4, 2006. The court found that he acted without premeditation. The prosecution had pushed for the death penalty but was not granted it. The case had a significant impact on Japanese society and led to discussions about safety, law enforcement, and justice for victims of similar crimes. Torres Yake's name became well-known in Japan due to the nature of the crime and the media coverage surrounding the trial.